Logitech G513 Gaming Keyboard Review

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The latest mechanical keyboard from Logitech is the G513 (See it on Amazon) / (See it on Amazon UK). Essentially an upgraded G413 keyboard, the new G513 is a stylish, full-size keyboard with fully customizable RGB lighting, a comfy wrist rest, and other features we’ve come to expect on higher-end gaming keyboards. It's available in both Carbon and Silver, and includes all-new propriety switches made by Logitech. The mechanical keyboard market is a crowded space these days though, and considering the premium $150 price-point, does the G513 deserve a place on your desk? I took a closer look to find out.

Design and Features

My first impression of the Logitech G513 is that it's a well-built keyboard. The brushed aluminum deck has a pleasant, textured finish that adds a sophisticated look to the overall package. Unlike some metal top plates, it's not a fingerprint magnet and the floating, matte black keycaps look great against the base. While the G513 is a full-size keyboard with a number pad, it’s not a desk-hogging behemoth, either. There’s virtually no wasted space, as the top plate’s edges run close to the keycaps on all sides.

Unlike the G413, the new G513 Carbon comes packed with a very pleasant wrist rest. The “leatherette” surface is packed with memory foam and the result is extremely comfortable; kind of like a soft pillow for your wrists or palms, but not quite as luxurious as the wrist rest on the Razer BlackWidow V2. The wrist rest doesn't attach to the actual keyboard, which is handy if you’re not interested in using it or want to move it back a bit to compensate for larger hands. That said, the lack of magnets or clips to keep the rest in place means it has an annoying tendency to slip out of position on occasion despite rubber feet on the underside of the pad.

Unfortunately, there are no dedicated media keys or volume wheel on the G513. But the keyboard’s array of function keys do offer media control as well as other secondary actions including a key to cycle lighting effects and brightness, and to switch on a customizable game mode which prevents errant Windows key presses. As I’ll discuss later, the Logitech Gaming Software is still the preferred means for tweaking presets, but it is nice to have some functionality on-the-fly via the function keys instead of needing to do it all in software.

While plenty of mechanical keyboards use the venerable Cherry MX switches, Logitech has for some time now opted to develop its own mechanical switches named Romer-G. The G513 uses an all-new version of the company’s proprietary switches, so instead of just one type there are now two: either Linear or Tactile. Comparatively, the Romer-G Linear is akin to a Cherry MX Red switch with a smooth, fast keystroke. The Romer-G Tactile is closer to a Cherry MX Brown, with a tactile response with each key press.

I tested both versions and each performed as well as, if not better, than a Cherry MX switch. The Romer-G Linear, in particular, was exceptional for gaming. The Romer-G Tactile delivers a more clicky experience, but isn’t obnoxiously loud. Both switches are available on the Carbon model, while the Silver-colored version only offers the Tactile switches.

The keycaps on the G513 Carbon have a comfortable, soft-touch finish. Key spacing felt great while typing, and I rarely produced any errors while typing out long strings of text. Moreover, even with the floating design, the keycaps are solid and there’s no cheap-feeling, wiggling keys on the G513. Larger keycaps, like the spacebar in particular, don’t suffer from wobble when you’re hitting one side of the bar. Logitech has also included a set of replacement keycaps for the WASD keys as well as the Q, E, R, and 1 through 5 keys. The replacements have a satisfyingly deeper recess that cradled my fingers, and the WASD keys in particular are wonderful for gaming.

Another big change from the G413 is the inclusion of full RGB lighting, as opposed to the former model's single-color setup. The change has brought this keyboard in-line with other high-end mechanical boards in terms of vibrant, customizable RGB light shows. Logitech’s Romer-G switches do a great job with lighting as it only comes through the keycaps instead of from underneath the keys themselves, and the effect looks fantastic glowing through each key’s iconography.

On the backside of the G513, there’s a braided cable which requires two USB ports on the PC, but the cable is thick and durable. There’s also a single, handy USB 2.0 passthrough port for conveniently attaching a mouse or headset.

Software

Like nearly all of its gaming peripherals, the G513 Carbon utilizes Logitech’s Gaming Software for lighting customization and recording macros. I used an updated version of the client to review the G513, and while there’s little in the way of changes from recent iterations of the software, it’s fairly easy to use. Most notably, the G513 takes advantage of Logitech’s LIGHTSYNC functionality, which is similar to Razer’s Chroma or Alienware’s AlienFX. This system allows for deep customization of lighting animations synced to games and other compatible Logitech devices. There’s even an applet within the software that changes the colors on the G513 in-time with on-screen color changes. The new Logitech G560 speakers use the same tech to sync lighting with in-game action.

Per-key lighting customization is available, as is a decent amount of lighting presets such as color wave, breathing, ripple effects, and a really cool animation that makes it appear like an ocean wave is lapping across the keyboard. As mentioned above, you can also create your own animations, either from scratch or by copying a pre-existing one and customizing it. Creating anything worth looking at definitely has a learning curve, but it’s kind of neat if you’re looking to make your keyboard truly stand out.

As usual with Logitech’s Gaming Software, you can also assign lighting and macros—the latter using a convenient drag-and-drop setup—to specific game titles. The software will scan your PC and look for compatible games, so the setup is fairly straightforward and simple.

Gaming

As mentioned above, the new Romer-G switches work very well, and thanks to a short 1.5mm actuation, they’re plenty fast. Playing multiple rounds of Overwatch felt great, and key presses registered perfectly despite my sometimes spastic movements while controlling an avatar. Again, I personally felt the Romer-G Linear were more unobtrusive, but for gamers looking for something with more feedback, the Tactile switches are an equally acceptable option. Plus, the latter feels a bit better for general typing.

The G513 is a very comfortable keyboard; compact, yet with a pleasing angle and a wrist rest deep enough to support even larger hands. I spent multiple hours playing PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and never felt any wrist strain or general fatigue while using this keyboard.

Hardcore MMO and MOBA gamers may despair at the lack of dedicated macro keys on the G513, but setting up macros in the Logitech software is an easy process, even if you’re forced to find some unused (for gaming) keys to set them up.

Purchasing Guide

The Logitech G513 will retail for $149.99 when it launches in April, and it is available for pre-order now on Amazon:

The Verdict

The Logitech G513 Carbon lands somewhere between the highest-priced and midrange mechanical gaming keyboards, and in doing so strikes a very good balance. It's far better than a midrange board, but not quite as fancy (or expensive) as a Corsair K95 and its ilk. Overall it's pretty amazing thanks to its tank-like build quality, sweet lighting customization, and excellent switches. It's an all-around excellent gaming keyboard.

Amazing

Logitech's new G513 is well-built and fun to use, with top-notch build quality, fast switches, and great lighting.